INN/Symbiotry Technology Discussions
Appeal of Sharing The opinion originally held by the majority of races represented at the talks is that time travel technology is an invaluable tool for self-discovery, and, as such, should not be denied to any race. However, the Lôxôni abandoned this position last week in favor of destroying the technology. Presumably, this sudden change of opinion was due in large part, to the arrest of agent 5, an unfortunate illustration of the danger of time travel. The Dorlün, and Zâng-traqar, on the other hand, have continued to cling tightly to their convictions. They're of the opinion that this technology is far too important to be buried because of paranoia. Time travel, the Zâng-traqar argue, is like any other powerful tool. It represents a danger only if the user doesn't have the insight to take the proper precautions. And if care is taken, there should be no reason whatsoever, to fear what should be the greatest advance the Symbiotry had ever known. Perhaps Grandon Farlink, the Dorlün emissary, stated the feelings of these two races most eloquently. "At long last", he said, "we can all be in touch with our pasts. Each race can now know the truths of its history. No longer must time be wasted with painstaking research and endless conjecture only to arrive at an uncertain understanding of the events that shaped history. The answers - all the answers - lie within our reach if only we have the will to grasp for them." Appeal for Denial Despite being recently abandoned by the Krynn, two of humanity's staunchest supporters, the Cyrollans and the Ssar, have continued to defend our right to autonomy over time travel technology. Like those that favor dismantling it, these two races would rather leave their past buried that risk losing it altogether. But unlike the others, the Cyrollans and Ssar believe that humanity harbors a maturity beyond its years, and can be entrusted with preserving the sanctity of history. In fact, they suggest that our closeness to our violent past makes us even better suited to manage time travel, as the dire consequences of the misuse of technology still stain our racial memory. Unfortunately, theirs is a minority opinion. The prevailing response to this argument is that Earth's record with time travel speaks for itself. In just ten years, there have already been incidents of deliberate historical sabotage, the latest of which allegedly involving an agent of the TSA. Out benefactors, however, dismiss the Elliot Sinclair and Gage Blackwood incidents as aberrant acts by disturbed individuals rather than a weakness of humanity as a whole. And they ask, as a sign of good faith and trust in the newest member of the Symbiotry, that the future of time travel technology be left to our discretion. Appeal for Dismantling The third viewpoint, which was originally held only by the Unwá, is that the existence of time travel technology represents a threat to the history of every race in the Symbiotry. For this reason, these races feel that all existing time machines should be completely dismantled. Following the arrest of agent five, the Lôxôni changed their allegiance from petitioning for the release of time travel technology to requesting its destruction. They were joined by the Krynn, for whom this represents a break in their long-standing tradition of fervently supporting every race's right to sovereignty over its own technology. The Lôxôni now proclaim that, if not destroyed, the technology must at the very least be put in the safekeeping of an elder race of the Symbiotry. They site security as their main concern. Like the others that share their goal, they feel that humanity lacks the necessary discretion to control such a powerful tool. As a side-note, It should be mentioned that the Lôxôni themselves are among the eldest races of the Symbiotry. Results of Negotiations Despite the arguments made by the Symbiotry envoys, the general oppinon of the Heads of Ministry so far appears unswayed. Michael Rozhenko of the Northwest Asia Collective rebutted that the danger of time travel falling into the wrong hands and being used to change history, however slight, is still to great to even consider releasing the technology. It must be realized that time travel has not only the power to unlock the secrets of history, but also unparallelled potential for destruction. Few could argue that it would be foolish to give such a tool to anyone, regardless of its intended use. On the other hand, it's also too late for it to be destroyed, as was pointed out by Chancellor of Law Rick Allen, when he stated that the technology has already been created, and can therefore be recreated. Chancellor Allen emphasized his point by attesting that if all known time travel technology were destoryed and a new time machine built without government knowledge or approval, there would be no way to intervene in the actions of the illicit time traveller. He would have free reign to rewrite history to his liking. Infortunately, such scenarios are all too likely, as was proven by the Elliot Sinclair incident, and the current trial of [[Gage Blackwood. Category:BiT Category:transcripts